THE Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) said turnout out of job fair walk-in applicants have become fewer over the past five years.

“Nagkadugay, nagkagamay nalang ang atong makitang applicants. Tan-awon nato four to five years ago sa atong mga ginapahigayong job fairs sa mga malls, kung asa makita nato nga guot kaayo (There have been a lower turnout of applicants these past years. Looking back four to five years ago, our job fairs in the malls used to be crowded),” Dole 11 assistant director Jason Balais said during the Kalayaan Job and Business Fair at the NCCC Mall Buhangin on Wednesday, July 12.

Balais said it is a good sign that the problem of unemployment has slowly been addressed.

The Dole official said the situation could be reflected in the 96-percent employment rate of the region in 2018.

He also credited the ongoing build, build, build program of the Duterte administration and the rising number of hotels and condominiums as the factor of the reduced unemployment in the region.

Balais said job fairs play a huge role in the reduction of the unemployment rate in the region.

This year’s Kalayaan job fair offered 7,493 job vacancies (4,522 for local, 2,971 for overseas). The labor official is eyeing a 15 to 20 percent target HOTS (hired on the spot).

“Kung pwede lang kini sila tanan i-HOTS (If possible everyone of them will be HOTS). But I understand the employers will need to further interview them and let them submit additional documents,” he said.

As of 12 noon, there are already six HOTS, including two senior high school graduates. One of them is Jessa Lancian, 20, hired on the spot as a bakeshop cashier. Lancian said it is her first time job application after she graduated years ago. She did not pursue college due to financial constraints.

“I decided to apply just now, to help my parents with the daily expenses. I did not expect that I would be hired on the spot,” Lancian said in vernacular.

Meanwhile, there were 476 registered applicants, with 360 of these for local employment (62 are senior high school graduates), 116 for overseas employment.

A total of 411 applicants were qualified for the positions they applied for, 318 of these for overseas employment (53 are senior high school graduates) and 428 for local employment.